Time Flies!

Wow! It has been a while since I have posted!! We haven't been up to much. Lee is working in Fort McMurray on turnaround. I have been working, and working on a few homemade gifts. I'd like to tell you all about them, but I haven't given them yet, so mum's the word!

This weekend, I have been making Christmas treats. I made haystacks, which is a recipe I got a few years ago from a friend. They quickly turned into a Christmas staple. Until last year. Mackintosh toffee bars were no where to be found!! According to there website, there was a fire at the factory. But they can make individually wrapped toffee pieces. I think this is some kind of conspiracy!

To start, get a bag of large marshmallows and cut them in half width wise with clean scissors. Dump some Rice Krispies in a bowl. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan. Add 35-40 unwrapped Mackintosh toffee pieces and two tablespoons of butter. I used 40 unwrapped pieces, but found it a bit thick and next time I will go with 35. Heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. I leave my burner on low as you will need to reheat the toffee if it starts to harden up.

Here's my assembly line. Note my beautiful china pattern. I believe it's called Royal Chinet.

It helps to have a helper. One person dipping, one person coating. But I was all one my own this weekend. I like to use my nut picks that came with my nutcracker for the dipping because you can tap them on the side of the saucepan to remove excess toffee. But you could use a toothpick or skewer.

Dip the marshmallow half into the melted toffee, tapping to remove excess.

Drop into the cereal and cover. I use a spoon cause it's faster. And when you are doing this alone, faster is better.

Drop on parchment to firm up. Repeat another 50 or 60 times. Eventually, you get to a point where there is toffee left, but it is too difficult to dip the marshmallows. This is where you reward yourself for all your hard work.

I don't think I need to explain any further.

I also tried to make truffles. But I am still scarred from that experience so I don't want to discuss it right now. When I have healed, we'll chat.

But I have had some requests to see my tree. Before I show you, I must remind you we put the tree up on Lee's last set of days off, around the 3rd or so. I generally don't put it up that early, but it was the 3rd or the 23rd, and I wasn't willing to do that deed on the 23rd. So up it went. And I have cats.

So just look at the top two thirds and we're good.

Look what they do when I am not looking!!

I have given up on fixing it. That is simply a waste of my time.

I hope your tree is fairing better than mine!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying their turkey dinner. I am heading out to Tina and Ian's for turkey dinner. Tina and Ian hauled 125 bales of hay yesterday, and today Lee and Ian are back out for another 125 bales today. So I am going to up with them later.

Lee was loading the bales on to the conveyor and Tina and Ian were packing them in the barn.

What was I doing you ask? I was occupational health and safety supervisor. And Master Documenter of Events.

This is Riley, Tina and Ian's chocolate lab. I captured this rare moment of him not barking.

Yesterday, before we headed out to help with the hay, I was making Pumpkin Date Squares. I got it all put together and baked them up at Tina's for dessert last night. It is quite a tasty fall recipe and they aren't overly sweet. They can be served warm or cold, and with or without a dollop of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Date Squares

Filling

• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Crumble

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup butter, melted

In a saucepan, bring filling ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix crumble ingredients except for the butter. Mix until combined and with a fork, incorporate the melted butter until crumbly.

Pat half of the crumble mix into a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Spread filling over top and sprinkle with remaining crumble mix.

Bake in the center of 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on rack.

Enjoy!

A Celebratory Drink

Wow, it has been almost a month since I last posted. I have to give a big congratulations to Tammy and Jeff on the birth of baby Rebecca Lynn on September 26th. I don't have any pictures but will be sure to share when I do! She is such a little doll!

So in honor of the birth of little precious, I am having a celebratory drink. (Roll with me here) Actually, I made a new slush recipe on Saturday night and didn't have any Sprite till today. It is darn good slush! Don't have a pic of that either as it is dark and pics with flash look horrid. I got the recipe from jenng on Tasty Kitchen.

jenng's Slush

• 1 cup sugar
• 9 cups water
• 2 bags raspberry tea
• 1 can frozen orange juice
• 1 can frozen pink lemonade
• 1 can frozen limeade
• 1 26oz (750mL) black cherry vodka

In a large pot, combine 7 cups of water and sugar. Boil for approximately 1 minute and set aside.

In a tea kettle, boil remaining 2 cups of water and pour over tea bags. Steep for 20 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour into the pot.

Stir in all of the concentrates till combined. Pour in vodka and allow mixture to come to room temperature.

Pour into a large container and put it in the freezer. It won’t freeze completely due to the alcohol, but it should become slushy—thus becoming SLUSH.

Scoop into glasses till 1/2 to 3/4 full (depending on your taste) and top with soda.
Kick back, close your eyes, drink and enjoy !!!

I mixed mine in two 4L ice cream containers as it wouldn't all fit in one. Enjoy! I am!

Canning Like Crazy! The End

I have been trying out a lot of recipes from Tasty Kitchen lately. Tasty Kitchen is an offshoot of Pioneer Woman, also created by Ree. It is a place where you can sign up and share recipes. I think I currently have 153 recipes in my box. That's a lot of testing to do! One of the more interesting ones I have tried is Corn Cob Jelly. I have tried it and it is pretty good.

Warning: Removing corn from 12 cobs is messy.

Corn Cob Jelly (posted by kristenofchaos on Tasty Kitchen)

• 4 cups water
• 1 box pectin crystals (I used Certo)
• 4 cups sugar
• 12 cobs of corn, raw and corn removed

Using 12 corn cobs from which sweet corn has been cut (raw) add 4 cups of water to a large pot.

Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes then strain through a cloth for 3 cups of liquid. (I used cheesecloth. You can buy jelly bags.)

Add more water if needed to make the total. (I had to add water, so I think next time, I would add more from the get go)

In a fruit pan, add 1 box of pectin and bring to a rolling boil.Add 4 cups of sugar (all at once) and bring to a boil once again. (I removed the cobs from the pot and added it back and used the same pot. I skimmed the foam off too.)

Food coloring may be added at this time. (I added 3-4 drops of yellow colouring)

Strain and put into jars and seal. (I didn't strain it a second time.)

Quite tasty. Doesn't taste like corn. Has a light, delicate honey like flavor.

Canning Like Crazy! Part III

It's been a busy week! Lee and I ventured to CrossIron Mills yesterday. It is the new super mall just north of Calgary. To say it was busy would be an understatement. It is an OK mall I guess. It has Bass Pro Shop so you can drop your hubby there and do your thing. Bass Pro Shop has a food section though that I recommend checking out. I bought some hot teriyaki sauce there and it is quite good. I also got some cornbread mix and spicy fish breading which I haven't yet tried.

In addition to dill pickles I also made bread and butter pickles. I reviewed many recipes for bread and butter, but decided to go with one I found on the Taste of Home website, simply because it seemed easiest. Being a beginner at this, easy recipes was high on the priority list.

Bread and Butter Pickles (from Karen Owen on Taste of Home website)

• 4 lbs pickling cucumbers, sliced
• 8 small onions, sliced (I used 3 medium onions, got them fresh from the Mennonites)
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 5 cups sugar
• 4 cups vinegar
• 2 tbs mustard seed
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

In a large container, combine the cucumbers, onions and salt. Cover with crushed ice and mix well. Let stand for 3 hours. drain; rinse and drain again. (My ice maker only makes ice cubes, and I couldn't be bothered to run it in the blender. Worked OK I think)

In a Dutch oven, combine the sugar, vinegar and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Word to the wise, wear old clothes, use an old ladle. This stuff will stain.

Yield: 7 pints.